Nipper-motion control.



A. F. KNIGHT.

NiPPER MOTION CONTROL APPLICATION mm FEB. 23. 1917.

1,235,981 Patented Aug. 7,1917.

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A. F. KNIGHT;

NIPPER MOTION CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1911.

1,235,981. Patented Aug. 7,1917.

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@W'ZEW Aiiozvz 2 ALBERT IE. KNIGHT, OF NEW IBEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

NIPPER-MOTION CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

Application filed. February 23, 1917. Serial No. 150,371.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n N 1pper-Hotion Controls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cotton com-hers, and particularly to mechanism for controlling the nipper motion thereof.

An essential ob ect of my invention is to insure an efficient pinching efiect of the several sets of nipp'er knives and cushion plates in a machine, regardless of the difierlng thickness and density of the individual laps passing I j cots are to take up lost motion lndividually in the several nipper knives; to afford regulation of tension upon one set of knives and ni ppers independently of the other sets; and to attain these ends in a nipper control mechanism adapted for embodiment in combers of the most approved type.

To the above end my invention consists in such parts and combinations of parts as fall within the scope of the appended clalms.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specificat1on Figure 1, is a transverse section of such parts of an ordinary combing machine of the Heilmann type as are convenient to disclose the operation-of my invention, showing in side elevation my novel nipper control mechanism cooperating therewith,

Fig. 2, a rear elevation of various of the parts shown in Fig. 1, 0

Fig. 3, an enlarged side elevation of the lower portion of a connecting rod and the parts carried thereby,

Fig. 1, a vertical section of the same on line H of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5, a plan view of the yoke attached to the lower end of the said rod.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

In the drawings 1 is the base of the frame, and 2 is one of the'severalstandards mounted thereon, between each of which is -'a combing head, whereby simultaneous operation upon a plurality of laps 1s 'aflorded: Upon the forward extensions 4; of the standards 2 are the calender rolls 5 and sliver apron 6. In the rearwardly directed extension 7 of the standards is fixed the shaft axis 9 of the knife levers 10 carrying knives 11 cothrough the several sets. Other oboperating with the fixed cushion plates 12. The usual adjusting blocks 13 and 1A, to one of which is fixed the cushion plate, are pivoted on studs 16 upon this extension, and are held rigidly against tilting movement by virtue of the contact of their respective adjusting screws 18 and 19 with the cross piece 22 carried by the extension. As is usual, between each pair of standards 2 are two knife levers, one adjacent each standard, connected by a single knife 11; andtwo blocks 13, connected by a single cushion plate 12. The needle carrying cylinder 26 upon its shaft 27 in the standards is located below and adjacent the cushion plate, and equals in length the width of one of the heads of the machine. Adjacent the cylinder is the brush 29 of equal length sup ported between the standards. The nipper shaft 31 journaled near the bottom of the standard has fast thereto the nipper shaft levers 33, arranged two for each head; and loose on this shaft is the cam lever 35 whose roll 36 travels in the channel 37 of the cam 38 fast on the cam shaft 39 journaled in the forward portion of the standards. The usual quadrant plate 40 fast to the shaft 31 embraces the cam lever 35 by the adjusting screws -12 in its lugs :13, whereby the motion of the arm 35 is imparted to the, shaft 31 to rock the same. It will be understood that in this type of machine in which there are from six to eight heads there is usually but one rocking cam 38. The rock ing motion of the ni-pper shaft 31, imparted by the cam, vibrates the nipper shaft levers 33 in unison.

It is in connection with the above identified familiar parts of a comber that my novel nipper motion control-ling mechanism is employed. This comprises the vertical connecting rods 46 pivotally attached at their upper ends by pins 47 in cars 48 upon the ends of the knife levers 10. The lower end of each rod is provided with a thread 49 engaging an internal thread 50 in a tu bular guide 51 slidable in a vertical 'bore or opening 53, in a horizontal arm 5A upon the top of the body 55of a vertical yoke provided with a lower horizontal arm 56 in alinement with the first arm. The threaded portion of the rod 46 normally projects washer 57 and lock nut 58. In the arm 56 is a post or pin 60 in alinement with the rod, and surrounded by a helical spring 61 with one end resting on the arm, and its other end abutting against the nut 58. Upon the side of the arm 5% is a stud or pin 63 journaled in an opening 64: in the free end of a lever 33, and held against escape by a pin 66 in a diametrical slot 67 in the end of the stud.

In operation the cam 38, through the lever 35 and quadrant l0, rocks the shaft 31 and vibrates all the nipper shaft levers simul taneously, whereby the six or eight pairs of connecting rods I6 are vertically reciprocated to carry their knives 11 toward and from their respective cushion plates 12, and thus intermittently pinch the laps passing therebetween.

Approximate adjustment of each knife relative to its cushion plate is effected by the adjusting nuts 56 upon the two rods 4L6 at the ends of each knife. Individual laps, however, unavoidably differ from each other somewhat in thickness, and different portions of the same lap throughout its length is of difierent thickness and density, and irregularities occasionally occur. These are compensated for by the springs 61 which yield under the downward thrust of the rods 46' and the nuts 56 upon the springs when a thick area of lap is passing. It is important that excessive spring pressure be not brought to bear upon any of the knives, not only because of the softness of the laps but because of excessive strain upon the cushion plates which would result from a heavy spring. It will be noted therefore that each spring is mounted in such a manner as to exert its pressure wholly upon its connecting rod and does not have to act through the arms 33, for which reason the spring may be light and sensitive.

It will be observed that the springs 61 being all independent of each other, and being operable upon the individual connecting rods, it is possible to secure uniform and successful operation of the individual sets of knives and cushion plates, and without undue strain upon the cushion plate of any particular set, notwithstanding laps of different thicknesses are being operated upon by different sets of pinching members, which result has heretofore not been attainable in this type of machine.

I claim 1. In a comber, a nipper motion controlling mechanism comprising a vertically movable rod connectible with a knife lever, a horizontal arm having a guide opening, a guide slidable therein and connected with said rod, a vertical yoke carrying said arm and a spring interposed between the lower portion of said yoke and the end of said rod.

2. In a comber, a nipper motion controlling mechanism comprising a vertically movable rod connectible with a knife lever, a horizontal arm having a guide opening, a guide slidable therein and connected with said rod, a vertical yoke carrying said arm, a spring interposed between the lower portion of said yoke and the end of said rod, and means for vertical adjustment of said rod.

3. In a comber, a nipper motion controlling mechanism comprising a vertically movable rod connectible with a knife lever, a horizontal arm having a guide opening, a guide slidable therein and connected with said rod, a vertical yoke carrying said arm and a spring interposed between the lower portion of said yoke and the end of said rod, said spring operable directly upon said rod independently of the nipper shaft lever.

4. In a comber, a nipper motion controll1ng mechanism comprising a plurality of vertically movable shafts each independently connectible with a knife lever, a plurality of yokes one for each rod, guides movable in the upper arms of said yokes and through which the lower ends of the rods extend, adjusting means on said rods and springs interposed between the lower ends of said rods and the lower portions of said yokes.

5. In a comber, a nipper motion controlling mechanism comprising a plurality of vertically movable shafts each independently connectible with a knife lever, a plurality of yokes one for each rod, guides movable in the upper arms of said yokes and through which the lower ends of the rods extend, adjusting means on said rods, springs interposed between the lower ends of said rods and the lower portions of said yokes, and means carried by the upper arms of the yokes and journaled in openings in the free ends of the nipper shaft levers of the comber. V

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT F. KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

DONALD A. M. DUNN, HORATIO E. BELLOWS.

Copies of this patent inay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

